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Civil War Navies Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Civil War Navies Quizzes, Trivia

Civil War Navies Trivia

Civil War Navies Trivia Quizzes

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7 quizzes and 75 trivia questions.
1.
  CSS Alabama" The Terror Of The Seas"    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Shortly after the start of the Civil War, Confederate commerce raiders began roaming the seas to prey on Union merchant ships. This quiz is about the most famous of those ships.
Average, 10 Qns, foxgap, Jan 05 14
Average
foxgap
1321 plays
2.
  The Confederate Naval Academy    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Needing naval officers the Confederate states opened their own naval academy. This is a short quiz on some of the interesting facts about it.
Tough, 10 Qns, foxgap, Jun 25 07
Tough
foxgap
707 plays
3.
  The Civil War - Part N    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Well I have not done a quiz on the CSA/Union Navy. So this one will be ships, battles, people. Have fun. No spelling.
Average, 10 Qns, Colmosby, Oct 07 10
Average
Colmosby
1255 plays
4.
  Civil War Navies    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Questions about the Civil War at sea and on rivers - a side of the war often ignored but vital to the survival of the Confederacy in the face of the Union blockade.
Average, 15 Qns, mroyd, Jun 25 07
Average
mroyd
1853 plays
5.
  CSS Shenandoah    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about the C.S.S. Shenandoah. created by the assistant secretary of The Shenandoah's Crew-Australia Inc. If you want more info on our group send a note to my mailbox on the site
Tough, 10 Qns, littlesuzie, Jan 06 08
Tough
littlesuzie
352 plays
6.
  The USS Shenandoah    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I've created a quiz on the CSS Shenandoah. Now for the lesser known USS Shenandoah.
Average, 10 Qns, littlesuzie, Jul 04 12
Average
littlesuzie
316 plays
7.
  Civil War Naval Officers' Insignia    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A closer look at the shoulder straps and sleeve insignia of the officers of both Union and Confederate Navies.
Very Difficult, 10 Qns, cohocola44003, Jun 25 07
Very Difficult
cohocola44003
568 plays
trivia question Quick Question
In January of 1863 while sailing the Gulf of Mexico towards Galveston, Texas she attacked and sank what blockading US warship?

From Quiz "CSS Alabama" The Terror Of The Seas""





Civil War Navies Trivia Questions
1. What type of ship was the USS Shenandoah?

From Quiz The USS Shenandoah

Answer: Screw Sloop

A screw sloop is a propeller driven sloop of war. 'Screw' was the term used to refer to a propeller. (The term 'screw' in front of a ship name differentiated it from a paddle wheel driven ship). Other screw' type ships used as warships during the American Civil War were screw frigates and screw corvettes.

2. What was the original name of the C.S.S Shenandoah?

From Quiz CSS Shenandoah

Answer: Sea King

This ship was originally called the Sea King and was origanally launched at Glasgow in Scotland in August 1863 as a civilian steamer, which the Confederate navy secretly purchased. It became the C.S.S Shenandoah in October 1864.

3. When did the CSA open their school for naval officers?

From Quiz The Confederate Naval Academy

Answer: 1863

Due to the high number of military schools in the south, government officials saw no need for a school for naval officers at the start of the war.

4. This Union commander was born near Knoxville, TN in 1801. He married a woman from Virginia.

From Quiz The Civil War - Part N

Answer: Farragut

His birth name was James. He was adopted by Com. David Porter. He changed his name to David in honor of his adoptive father. When he was 21 years of age he had already made four cruises to the Mediterranean and fought pirates. He also took part in the War of 1812 where he was captured. He had received his appointment to the Navy at age 9.

5. Where was the CSS Alabama built?

From Quiz CSS Alabama" The Terror Of The Seas"

Answer: Birkenhead, England

The CSS Alabama was built for the Confederate government at the Laird shipyard in Birkenhead (opposite Liverpool), England and commissioned on August 24th, 1862. The Union government was angry with the British for their association with the Confederacy, and demanded compensation for damage done by ships built in Britain and delivered to the Confederacy. The matter was resolved by arbitration.

6. Which was the world's first warship to carry its guns in a rotating turret?

From Quiz Civil War Navies

Answer: USS Monitor

The New Ironsides was an ironclad but carried its guns broadside-fashion; the Warrior was an ironclad and the world's most powerful warship in 1861.

7. Where was the USS Shenandoah built?

From Quiz The USS Shenandoah

Answer: Philadelphia Naval Shipyard

The USS Shenandoah was built at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and launced on December 8, 1862. Mare Island Naval Shipyard was on Mare Island, California and operated from 1854-1996. Philadelphia Naval Shipyard operated from 1799-1965. San Francisco Naval Shipyard operated from 1941-1994. It later became Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard followed by Treasure Island Naval Station Hunter's Point Annexe. Longbeach Naval Shipyard operated from 1943-1997.

8. What was James Iredell Waddell's origanal rank when he boarded the Sea King for the first time?

From Quiz CSS Shenandoah

Answer: First Lieutenant

When James Iredell Waddell originally boarded the Sea King from the supply ship with which they met at sea off Madeira he was First Lieutenant.

9. Name the Secretary of the CSA Navy in 1861.

From Quiz The Civil War - Part N

Answer: Mallory

Stephn Mallory assigned James Bullock to purchase ships from Europe. When he arrived to purchase the he found that completed warships could not be bought. He was later able to buy two ships from England: the CSS Florida and the CSS Alabama.

10. What was her top speed, when under full power?

From Quiz CSS Alabama" The Terror Of The Seas"

Answer: 13 knots

The CSS Alabama was 220 feet long with a beam of 32 feet. She was powered by two 300-horsepower engines that turned her double wheel, and also had a full compliment of sails. A knot is equal to 1.15 survey miles per hour, so if you do the math she could go about 15 mph. This may not seem fast to you, but in the 1860's, it was considered very fast.

11. Who designed the Monitor?

From Quiz Civil War Navies

Answer: John Ericsson

12. On what date was the USS Shenandoah commissioned?

From Quiz The USS Shenandoah

Answer: June 20, 1863

Shenandoah departed Philidelphia on 25 June, 1863 and after a complex history was decommissioned on October 23, 1886.

13. What country did the Shenandoah go to for repairs in 1865?

From Quiz CSS Shenandoah

Answer: Australia

The C.S.S Shenandoah arrived in Melbourne, Australia on the 25th of January 1865. 42 crew were added to the short handed crew on this visit. 6 as marine and 36 as seamen

14. Who was named as the first superintendant of the new school?

From Quiz The Confederate Naval Academy

Answer: William H Parker

Parker was born in New York in 1826 and graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1847. He was a naval officer during the Mexican War in the South Atlantic. Prior to the Civil War he did such duties as coastal surveys and was even a teacher at the US Naval Academy. The other three were all Union naval officers.

15. Who was the captain of the Alabama?

From Quiz CSS Alabama" The Terror Of The Seas"

Answer: Raphael Semmes

The CSS Alabama carried heavy armament including a 110-pounder rifled gun, an 8-inch solid shot gun, and six 32 pounders. It had a crew of 120 men and 24 officers.

16. In March 1862, at Hampton Roads, which US warship did the CSS Virginia actually sink?

From Quiz Civil War Navies

Answer: USS Cumberland

The Minnesota went aground in the battle.

17. Where was the first place to which the USS Shenandoah was sent?

From Quiz The USS Shenandoah

Answer: Boston

On its way to Boston to fill out her compliment the Shenandoah was ordered to keep a sharp eye out for the Confederate raider Tacony.

18. How many U.S flag merchant ships did the Shenandoah capture in 1864?

From Quiz CSS Shenandoah

Answer: 9

Nine U.S flag merchant shipe were captured between late October and the end of 1864 and all but two of these were sunk or burned. Information obtained from Naval Historical Centre Homepage CSS Shenandoah page

19. I, too, am a Confederate naval officer, my sleeve strip design has three strips and a loop. I outrank all others, what is my rank?

From Quiz Civil War Naval Officers' Insignia

Answer: Flag Officer

The Flag Officer's shoulder strap was a solid blue field with four gold stars (two large and two small) and a gold border.

20. Where was the naval school located?

From Quiz The Confederate Naval Academy

Answer: Drewry's Bluff, James River

After Norfolk fell the "CSS Patrick Henry", a 1300-ton side-wheel steamer, was modified to be used as a school ship.

21. This CSS ship formerly the USS Merrimac sunk the USS Cumberland in this battle March 8, 1862. Name the Battle.

From Quiz The Civil War - Part N

Answer: Battle of Hampton Roads

The CSS Virginia was a now CSA ironclad. As it entered the 8 mile-long channel at Hampton Roads it headed straight for the USS Cumberland and crashed into it opening a hole in the side, but got stuck in the process but was able to get free. Of the 376 men aboard the Cumberland, 121 died.

22. What was the only Confederate port that she ever entered?

From Quiz CSS Alabama" The Terror Of The Seas"

Answer: She never entered a Confederate port

Remarkably, the CSS Alabama never once entered a southern port. However, in her career, the Alabama traveled 75,000 miles, and captured 66 Union merchant ships worth over 6.5 million dollars in 1860's money.

23. The CSS Virginia, which fought the USS Monitor, was built using the hull of which US steam frigate?

From Quiz Civil War Navies

Answer: USS Merrimack

24. Which squadron was the USS Shenandoah a part of?

From Quiz The USS Shenandoah

Answer: North Atlantic Blockading Squadron

The North Atlantic Blockading Squadron was based at Hampton Roads, Virginia. It was created when the Atlantic Blockading Squadron was split into the North and South Atlantic Blockading Squadrons. After the war they merged again to become the Atlantic Squadron.

25. How many ships did the Shenandoah capture between June 22 and June 28, 1865?

From Quiz CSS Shenandoah

Answer: 24

Between these dates the Shenandoah which was now stateless (although they didn't know it yet) captured 24 vessels, all but a few of these vessels were destroyed as before in 1864. Afterwards they started a slow voyage towards San Francisco, California which Waddell believed would be weakly defended against their guns.

26. How many Union Naval Officer ranks were there?

From Quiz Civil War Naval Officers' Insignia

Answer: Eight

Ensign to Rear Admiral was eight promotions, there was only six Confederate Naval Officer ranks.

27. Among the military assets at the location of the naval academy was a fort that played an important part in the defense of Richmond. By what romantic sounding name did the Union military call this fort?

From Quiz The Confederate Naval Academy

Answer: Darling

Drewry's Bluff/Fort Darling commanded a strategically powerful location on the cliffs overlooking the James River. On May 5th, 1862 five Union gunboats, including the Monitor and the Galene, sailed up the James to test the Richmond defenses. Engaging in battle with Fort Darling's guns the ships received heavy damage and were forced to withdraw.

28. This Union ironclad looked like a raft with a tin can sitting in the middle of it. Name the ship.

From Quiz The Civil War - Part N

Answer: USS Monitor

It was designed by John Ericsson. The raft part of the ship was a flat wooden deck that sat 18 inches above the water and was covered with two layers of half-inch iron plate. The deck, and the ironclad sides were three feet below the water. The cost of the ship was $275,000 and was built in 118 days.

29. The CSS Alabama began her career by engaging in what action?

From Quiz CSS Alabama" The Terror Of The Seas"

Answer: Destroying Yankee whaling ships

Over a two week period she destroyed 10 whaling ships in the Azores. She completely decimated this fleet.

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